General

They don’t make enough jello for the cafeteria and it should be available to patients only.  There is no reason for a visitor or doctor to eat from the limited daily supply of Jello. If I were CEO of London Health Sciences Centre this would be a strictly enforced rule.

Dr. Jhou and Dr. Hernandez rock.

The drugs I took before my MRI have me convinced that I was curled up in a ball during the test even though I have seen the machine and know this isn’t possible.

I am most looking forward to having my hair properly washed. Because of my PICC line I can’t get my right forearm wet. Any volunteers?

A good friend of ours who is an esteemed professor of philosophy here at western was on the committee that oversaw and approved this iv-at-home
(PICC line) Technology. We never knew.

The cooks here do surprisingly well with some dishes. I think we should concentrate on those meals rather than the grey ones that smell like dog food.

If you work in a hospital and you are kind to a patient for no reason at all it means more than you know.

Friday is either the day I prepare to go home or the day I go through a surgical  procedure.  It all depends on the results of a ct scan. I can’t believe how long I’ve been in here – 11 days.

Today my Dad undergoes a knee replacement surgery.  He had this surgery done about a decade ago and came through with flying colours. I’m holding my own. It’s my Daddy I’m thinking about today.

I was moved up to a real semi -private patient room on the 8th floor. My roommate whose name I never did get was being let out. She was doing well post op. Keep in mind that we have a situation where people wait 30 hours in the ER for a bed as you read this little exchange.

Him: okay hon we’re free to go. I’ll get your stuff together.

Her: I don’t want to.

Him: you feel alright don’t you?

Her: (whiny) yeah.

Him: well then let’s go pick up something to eat and get you home!

Her: but it’s almost suppertime. We paid for it.

Him: you want to stay for supper? What will I eat?

Her: we can share it.

They sat in silence until dinner arrived and I heard him say, these carrots taste a little off. 

No discussion needed.

8 days into my stay and I just felt confident
and able to go to the third floor cafeteria
on my own. I had heard rumours about Jello
and when a tiny, toothless cafeteria worker
noticed me looking longingly through the
puddings she asked what I wanted. I told
her.

“what kind do you like, hon?”

“red is my favourite but I’ll take anything.”

“wait here” she said and in a couple of
minutes she was back bearing a fresh and
beautiful jello cup with a little dollop
of whipped cream on top. Her name is
Elise. She’s just one of the awesome people
who work here at university hospital.

A young cleaning woman mopped around me as a read yesterday.

“Has anyone ever told you that you look like Jessica Biel?”, thinking she must hear it all the time.

“No way” she said clearly pleased. “really?”

“I think you’d win a photo contest!”

“right on!” she said. “thanks!”

“hey I just call it as I see it. For me, right now after 7 days in hospital and one shower. I look like ‘woman last seen headed west on I-190 in dodge pickup with stolen baby.”

“oh?” said the cleaner. “who’s she?”

I have to tell you about this older man and woman who come to visit someone in a nearby room.

So here I am, in my supermodel best hospital edition robe, clutched at the back, looking like I’ve ridden to hell and back on an uncooperative camel and these folks stare at me.

They don’t look up and go, oh, there’s a patient, let’s avert our eyes and afford her the shred of dignity that she has left. Nope. They stare. Four beady little eyes watch me shuffle to the can and then shuffle back. 

What the hell is that about?  I want to shuffle straight up to them and just say, Really? 

On the other hand this just proves I’m getting a little bit of my spunk back!

If I’ve communicated with you personally consider it the tiniest of miracles. I’m quite sure I’ve sent emails only in my head and really sent others that I can’t remember. Such is life  in the whirlwind of medications and testing.

This hospital apparently sees cases similar to mine about twice a week but they’re usually easily explained. Someone’s a long term IV drug user or they’ve just been somewhere exotic and had bad water. Cases like mine bug them because without a source there’s a potential for a recurrence.

Interesting side note about hospital food – this hospital’s food anyway. I have hardly eaten any of it. it’s totally disgusting and luckily Derek has been coming up bearing the dinners of my choice. But I was puzzled last night when I found my favourite pizza unpalatable. Finally a nurse, noticing my nearly bare lunch tray, asked if I was on a certain drug. Turns out I am. turns out it makes your taste buds turn on their heads and everything taste like crap!! Nobody’s perfect but a heads up would have been nice!

I will never again say, I feel like crap. …

You don’t know sickRead More »

Part one.

Details soon!!

The generational divide between myself and some 20-somethings can be boiled down to this:  I like my clothes to be clean when I wear them.  …

Baby Makes His Blue Jeans TalkRead More »